After leaving the bar, Meng Jingwei released Qiao Ziqian's hand and looked back at him with his face bruised and swollen, frowning, "Are you okay?"
Qiao Ziqian had bloodstains on his nose and mouth, his hair was messy like a bird's nest, and his white shirt was covered with faint shoe prints, looking particularly disheveled.
"Just a small matter."
His nose was still bleeding. Qiao Ziqian stuffed paper into his nostrils, tilted his head back, and shook his head. He gasped in pain as he spoke.
"I'll take you to the hospital."
Meng Jingwei hadn't expected this incident, which had caused Qiao Ziqian to get beaten up for no reason.
"Oh, let's not go to the hospital. It's too expensive," Qiao Ziqian waved his hand and pointed at the paper wads in his nose, "As long as it stops bleeding."
"You got beaten up because of me, so you don't have to pay for medical expenses," she said helplessly.
"That won't do either," Qiao Ziqian glanced at her, "Isn't your money also money? Earning money is not easy, so spend it sparingly."
Meng Jingwei: "..."
Is life more important or money more important?
But she thought of Qiao Ziqian's 'plight' and knew his family was poor, so she didn't insist.
"If you don't want to go to the hospital, there's a pharmacy ahead. I'll buy you some medicine."
"Okay, okay, it's best to buy something for the pain. Hiss, they beat my mouth until it bled. It really hurts." Qiao Ziqian covered his cheek and walked forward with Meng Jingwei.
At this moment, he was the epitome of an 'ordinary person,' having cast aside the image of a 'noble gentleman' with every move.
He even gave the impression of a young man struggling on the poverty line, living frugally and tightening his belt.
After walking a few hundred meters, they reached a pharmacy. Meng Jingwei bought some medicine, band-aids, and antiseptic solution.
After leaving the pharmacy, the two sat on a bench by the roadside. "Sit down, let me treat your wounds," Meng Jingwei said to Qiao Ziqian.
Qiao Ziqian sat opposite her, his side facing Meng Jingwei.
Under the dim yellow lamplight, Meng Jingwei used a cotton swab dipped in antiseptic solution to wipe his facial wounds.
As soon as the cotton swab touched Qiao Ziqian's face, he winced in pain, "Hiss, hiss, hiss, it hurts, it hurts, be gentle, be gentle."
"You know it hurts now? Why weren't you so timid when you were being brave?"
Meng Jingwei complained.
Qiao Ziqian grinned, "That's because I saw you being bullied, and I couldn't stand it."
"If you don't have the skill, don't take on the job. Don't you know your own limits?"
"Haha, Meng Meng is right," Qiao Ziqian chuckled, "Next time you get beaten, I'll just help you record a video from the side."
"Stop your crow's talk, don't you wish for anything good!" Meng Jingwei rolled her eyes at him.
She leaned closer to him, wiping the bloodstains from his face, so close.
It was already deep winter, and the faint warm air from their breaths dispersed with the wind, but they could clearly smell each other's scents.
Qiao Ziqian gazed at the woman in front of him. She was meticulously wiping the wounds on his face with a cotton swab, her movements gentle and delicate, exuding a serene beauty.
Especially her stunningly beautiful face, like a cold, aloof beauty who had stepped out of a painting.
Big Brother is truly blessed with good fortune to have found such a beautiful woman. No wonder he loved her so much back then.
"Meng Meng, you are beautiful and kind-hearted. Why did your ex-husband divorce you?" Qiao Ziqian seized the opportunity to pry.
Meng Jingwei's movements paused. Her eyelashes, like butterfly wings, fluttered. She looked at him and couldn't help but smile, "Don't you think it's more appropriate to ask Qing Muye this question?"
A perfectly evasive answer.
Qiao Ziqian nodded thoughtfully, "What you said makes sense. If you ask me, Qing Muye is blind. He had such a good wife but didn't want her, and insisted on being lost in the vibrant allure of other women."